Vampire Christmas
by Whazzup 225
Summary: It's two hours before the stores close on Christmas Eve, and Spike has to buy Dru a gift. Luckily, David, having survived the massacre in Santa Carla, is there to help.


_December 24, 1987_

_4:12 PM_

"Twas the day before Christmas," Spike recited, "and all through the store . . . last-minute shoppers came forth by the - watch it, would you! You bump me one more time and I'll -"

"Just go the other way," David said hastily, before any other harsh words were exchanged. The other customer glared, then turned the cart down the next aisle.

"We're not supposed to even **be **here," Spike grumbled. "Drusilla decides at the last bloody minute that she wants to have Christmas. Even though we haven't bothered in years. So I had to go out and get a bloody Christmas tree. **Two days **before Christmas! I told her I wouldn't be able to find one this late, but she goes on and on about stars and tinsel and fruitcake and all that. So I went out and I bought a bloody Christmas tree."

"You actually found one?"

"Pitiful little thing. Made Charlie Brown's tree look like sodding Rockefeller Center. She's puttin' lights and strings on it now."

"Well, that's good. She's happy."

"And then you showed up. Alive. I heard you were dead."

"Don't believe everything you hear."

"In fact," Spike said, turning toward his companion conspiratorially, "I heard your whole pack was wiped out by a bunch of little kids."

David looked embarrassed for a moment, then recovered. "They had . . . help."

"Oh. Must've been some pretty tough help. Excuse us, let us through, please! Men shopping, here!" He maneuvered the cart through a tricky knot of shoppers, then continued. "Anyway, didn't expect you to turn up. Glad to see you, though. How'd you get away?"

In answer, David unbuttoned his shirt to show two faint scars, one on either side of his chest. "Didn't pierce the heart."

"Ouch! That must've hurt!"

"Like a ba-" He broke off when he saw little kids in the line before him. "Bad. For a long time, after I got away. I holed up in an old crypt for a while, then I came looking for you. Not a bad place you've got for yourselves. Lot of history in this part of the country."

"You're not . . . goin' back? To get your revenge?"

"Not till after the holidays, anyway. Give them a false sense of security."

Spike nodded approvingly. "That is brilliant. That is bloody brilliant."

They moved along at a snail's pace, due to the volume of shoppers.

"You know, I used to love Christmas," Spike said as he tossed a handful of little hair things into the cart. "All the tinsel and the holly and the music and everythin' . . . used to be my favorite time of year."

"We never made a big deal out of Christmas," said David. "Maybe went out drinking once or twice. Which reminds me -"

"I know, I know! I'll take you out, I promise! Some time between now and New Year's, okay? Now can we get this done already? Stockings, where are the damn stockings?"

"Anything they've got left is over here."

A little girl carrying a Barbie doll looked up at them as she skipped by. Spike gave her his warmest smile, which made her shriek and run to catch up with her mother.

"Good to see I haven't lost my touch."

"What about a pretty scarf?"

"She has tons of 'em."

"Some perfume?"

"She never wears any!"

"Maybe one of these nice gift sets? Ooh, bath cubes. Haven't seen those in a while."

"Oh, this is all wrong!" Spike exclaimed suddenly. "All of this, it's all wrong! What's the point of getting' her something she'll never use, never wear, or doesn't like?" He stopped in the middle of the aisle, and, leaning his forearms on the cart handle, buried his face in his hands.

"Why don't you just write her a love poem?"

"She'll think I was too cheap to buy her anything."

David glanced down at the shopping cart full of small gifts, and refrained from comment.

"Why do I let her do this to me? I should have just told her 'Sod it, it's too late, we can't do Christmas this year!' But no, instead I let her talk me into this, and here we are, two hours before closing time on Christmas Eve!"

"You've got plenty of stuff here," David said. "This should be good enough."

Spike raised his head slowly. "You've never been around, have you, when she has one of her . . . fits? Not a pretty picture."

A store employee came up to them. "Can I help you find anything, sir?"

Spike looked her over. She was a young girl, but not too young; healthy-looking, pink-cheeked, and eager to please.

He and David looked at each other, and grinned.

HOHOHO

_12:01 AM_

"Merry Christmas, love."

"Can I open my present now?" Drusilla was as eager as a child.

"Course you can. Bring it in, mate."

Presently David appeared, leading the girl from the store on a string which turned out to be a length of red ribbon, the end of which was tied around her wrists. There was a colorful swatch of wrapping paper over her mouth, but her eyes, wide and blue, were visible.

"Ooh, it's just what I wanted! How did you know?" She fingered the girl's designer dress. "Can I keep the wrapping when I'm done?"

"Yeah. Should be your size."

Drusilla gave a squeal of delight and then slowly, slowly peeled the wrapping paper from the girl's lips. Immediately the terrified victim screamed.

"Oh, how I love that sound. Scream again, pet. It's like beautiful music." She glanced up at Spike and David. "Do you want some? I don't mind sharing."

"Maybe later," Spike said. He looked over at David, somewhat guiltily. "Didn't have time to get anything for you, mate. Sorry."

David shrugged. "Just to be alive is all the present I want. Not to be alone at Christmas is even better."

"D'you miss them?"

"Every minute. Never underestimate your opponents, Spike. Even if they're fourteen-year-old kids."

Spike raised his eyebrows in surprise. "It's true, then! You were taken down by a bunch of bloody children!"

"I didn't take them seriously enough. I won't make that mistake again."

"Hang on, I'll be back." Spike left the room for a moment and came back with two crystal wine glasses. "Can we have a bit now, love?"

Drusilla raised her head and licked her blood-stained lips. "Plenty left."

"Good." Spike went to what was left of the girl and filled both glasses, then brought them back and handed one to David. "To Christmas!"

"To togetherness."

They clinked glasses and drank.

"And to all a good night." He looked down at the still form on the floor and amended, "Well, maybe not you."

"God bless us, every one," said Drusilla.


End file.
